Throughout the course of the long war in Afghanistan, Coalition troops have relied on thousands of military working dogs to help keep them safe, and make their jobs easier. The dogs are trained to detect explosives, to find illegal drugs, to search for missing comrades, or target enemy combatants. Not only are they active on the front lines, but behind the lines they serve as therapy dogs, service dogs, and loyal companions. They also share the same risks as the ground troops, suffering injuries and sometimes death on the battlefields. Gathered here are images of these dogs and their handlers in Afghanistan and back home, from over the past several years, part of the ongoing series here on Afghanistan.

A biker passes by a pair of mailboxes in the Capitol Hill neighborhood November 6, 2012 in Denver, Colorado. Colorado is considered by most experts to be one of the key battleground state in this year's presidential election. (Photo by Marc Piscotty/AFP Photo)

(L-R) Tom Kaulitz, Heidi Klum and Leni Klum attend Heidi Klum's 23rd Annual Halloween Party at Hard Rock Hotel New York on October 31, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by TheStewartofNY/WireImage)

An Indonesian muslim woman walks on “sea of sands” as they prepare for Eid Al-Fitr prayer at Parangkusumo beach on July 17, 2015 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Muslims worldwide observe the Eid Al-Fitr prayer to mark the end of Ramadan and the beginning of the new month of blessing Shawwal 1436 Hijriah. (Photo by Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images)

Lissy Elle is a Canadian photographer who creates mysterious and dreamy images through the use of props and photo manipulation. Full of woods, classic tales references, giant teacups and girls defying gravity, her work is both engaging and disturbing, it transports us to an oniric world, or is it a nightmare?

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Framed by the setting sun, an American Bison grazes at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve on Tuesday, April 28, 2015, near Strong City, Kan. The buffalo herd at Tallgrass is one of the few herds of wild bison left in the United States. (Photo by Travis Heying/The Wichita Eagle via AP Photo)

Baylor head coach Kim Mulkey yells at her team during the second half of a women's Final Four NCAA college basketball semifinal tournament game against Oregon, Friday, April 5, 2019, in Tampa, Fla. (Photo by John Raoux/AP Photo)